X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA) (1 day)

Course Description

XPS is used to determine the atoms present at a surface and their concentrations, chemistry, and lateral and depth distributions. This course emphasizes: 

• Introduction – terminology, surfaces, types of surfaces. 0.5 hour
• The principles of XPS – production of photoelectrons, peak labelling, electronic configuration of atoms, binding energy, spectra, Auger electrons, handbooks, books, surface sensitivity, information depth. 1.5 hours
• Instrumentation – dual anode X-ray sources, monochromatic X-ray sources, hard X-rays, electron energy analysers, spectrum acquisition, energy resolution and pass energies, small area analysis, imaging XPS methods. 1.25 hours
• Qualitative analysis – identification of elements, changing X-ray sources. 0.5 hours
• Quantitative analysis – intensities, background subtraction, sensitivity factors, ionization cross sections, analyser transmission, reference spectra, detection limit. 1 hour
• Artefacts – X-ray damage, charging. 0.25 hour
• Data acquisition and processing – processing data, satellite subtraction, peak areas, line shapes, curve fitting. 1 hour
• Depth profiling – non-destructive and destructive methods, angle resolved XPS, thickogram, inelastic loss method, sputtering. 1 hour
• Applications – some further examples of applications of XPS. 0.25 hours
• Instrument selection and summary – factors to consider, general summary. 0.25 hours

Instructor: John T. Grant

He is an expert in XPS and has been teaching courses on surface analysis techniques for many years. He is co-editor of the 900 page book "Surface Analysis by Auger and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy". See: https://surfaceanalysis.org/

Schedule and Notes

This course will be held Monday, 15 September 2025 from 9.00 am till 5.30 pm with an hour for lunch. Attendees will receive a pdf copy of my slides. It is recommended that you print a copy of my slides (in colour), so you can make additional notation on them as needed.

Who Should Attend? 

Scientists, engineers, technicians, and students, who would like a detailed understanding of the principles and uses of XPS/ESCA for surface analysis and depth profiling-